An easy spice blend for delicious chicken

There’s an undeniable convenience about being able to buy ready made rubs and spice blends. But if time permits, or you’re a stickler for knowing exactly what’s in your food, then learning how to make your own unique blends at home with the help of a pestle and mortar is a truly gratifying experience. Give this chicken spice blend a go and then experiment with flavours that resonate with you. You’ll probably never go back to ready made rubs when you can have coronation chicken like only you know how to make it. It’s all in the blend.

Ingredients

Method:

1. Heat a frying pan on medium heat. Toast the peppercorns, fennel, coriander and cumin seeds for a few minutes until the spices release their aromas. Remove and allow to cool slightly before placing in the pestle and mortar.

2. Give the seeds a good grind, then add remaining ingredients and continue to grind to a relatively fine powder.

3. Once cooled store in an air-tight container.

To use in your cooking, sprinkle some of your home made rub over chicken pieces before frying, barbecuing or grilling. Allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes so the flavours can infuse.

This rub will stay fresh for up to 1 week if kept in a sealed container. Have you already got a pestle and mortar? Maybe that jar in your spice cupboard with the label that says ‘special blend’ is an inherited recipe? If you don’t yet have your own special blend, play around, the mystery and flavour it adds to your cooking is so worth it.